Robert Franklin Ball

Robert (Bob) F. Ball, 95, of Fairway, Kansas, died peacefully on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at AdventHealth Care Center in Overland Park from natural causes. Right up to the day of his passing, Bob was reminiscing, and joking around with his family, as was so typical of Bob’s jovial personality.

Bob was born on May 5, 1927 to Richard A. Ball Jr. and Juliet H. Tipton Ball in Independence, Missouri. He graduated from a local high school in 1944, attended Central Methodist College in Fayette, MO, and later the University of Missouri, where he graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1948. While at “Mizzou” he met Jean Ann Wells from Nashville, Tennessee, and on October 5, 1949 they were married in Davidson County, Tennessee. Bob and Jean were together until Jean’s passing in 2013. They lived their years together in Johnson County, KS in two different houses that Bob built together with his father and brothers. After graduating from the University of Missouri, Bob worked for two years as an inspector with the Missouri State Highway Department. He then worked for Phillips Petroleum Company as an electrical and instrumentation engineer at the Phillips refinery in the Fairfax district in Kansas City, and later moving to the Phillips headquarters in Bartlesville, OK. He also spent a number of months working with Phillips in Trondheim, Norway on Phillips’ off-shore petroleum drilling operations.

After retirement, he and Jean moved back to Overland Park. Throughout the time he and Jean were raising their kids, and living in Johnson County, Bob taught night-school math classes two or three nights a week at Metropolitan Community College, Penn Valley Campus. His children were always extra happy on those nights when he wasn’t teaching night school, as Jean would make an extra tasty dinner on those nights. Bob was also active in the formation and establishment of the Leawood United Methodist Church. His good humor and loving nature will be missed by all those touched by him.

He is survived by his son Steve Ball and his wife Judy Ball of Roeland Park, KS; son Dan Ball and his wife Lori Golze of Hood River, Oregon; daughter Julie Ball of Kansas City, MO; daughter Susan Boyer and her husband Tim Boyer of Lenexa, KS; 5 grandchildren, and 8 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 6, 2023, at the McGilley State Line Chapel.